Turncoat Renegades
by Coco Woushi
Summary: Yeah so.. This is actually a Rising Force Online story but until support gets around to adding it I'm gonna put it here. Still in works.. probably always will be.
1. Chapter 1

"Turncoat Renegades"

So there I was, sitting in the Sette desert with a pounding headache. My captors stood and sat around me, going about their own business and caring little for the welfare of myself. If the assault I had to endure wasn't painful enough, the mere confusing nature of it was. What had started as routine mission from the Union had turned first into a fight for my life followed by my capture by the… curious bunch.

To the left, sitting beside me, was another Bellato female. Her armor suggested that she was a force user like myself but the quality of the clothing was less than war-ready. She was looking happily over my blue staff which she claimed as her own to replace her less powerful yellow one. The grin hadn't left her face since the time my vision came into focus. The most curious feature of her were the tattoos marked around her eyes.

"Aye, I know that Emma but Tami—"

Straight ahead of me, standing motionless in the shadows, was Zappa. Zappa was huge, easily twice my size, and rightly so being that it was an Accretia. At one point its armor must have been impressive but now the luster had been sand blasted away from the harsh environment. We would usually assume how powerful the Accretia was based on how spine-like their armor was. I would guess Zappa was reasonably strong, especially with that huge sword it had strapped behind it. It hadn't said a thing since I first saw it, just looming and watching with its glowing azure eyes.

"I just thought you're so attached to yours… You wouldn't want some Union-made weapons, would ya?"

To the left, standing a ways off was the Cora. She was like every other Cora I've seen: beautiful, shapely, with long legs and scant clothing. What was different about her, though, was the fact that her skin was so bronze it was nearly brown. Her eyes were sharp and cold, golden in color—just like her hair. I gave her only the slightest respect because she was also a cunning force user. Apparently her name was Emma.

"Ahh..! No no, lovely! I didn't mean it like that. I was just saying—"

Emma was currently 'discussing' something with the last of my captors, apparently the leader. He was cut off by the Cora's hand slapping him before she turned about and marched off. He rubbed his cheek with a lopsided grin, tilting his head slightly to watch the woman storm away. The Bellato then turned to me, dropping his hand to his side and walked over. I would guess him to be a ranger, given the lightning gun strapped around his back, but his outfit wasn't exactly one issued by the Union. His boots were high and armored and his shirt close fitting. On one hand was a full metal gauntlet, the other a fingerless glove, and across his eyes he wore a single-eye visor which was painted black. He, like all the rest (except Zappa), wore a unique headset which looked Bellato-made.

Squatting down before me he smiled his crooked smile, looking me over with his red eye. "Evening missy. Sorry about all that before. What might your name be?"

Was this guy serious? His Cora and Accretia ambush me and then attempts to make small talk? Honestly! With a huff I moved my eye contact from his, my head still pounding in protest.

He scratched the back of his head which was more of a fray of messy dark-brown hair. "All right, you're sore. I understand that. Again, sorry. Nothing personal. Name's Stavvy."

"Stubby," the other Bellato (Tami) murmured loudly, eyeing Stavvy playfully with that endless grin. He didn't seem to like the name much. That was good, I'd use that name instead.

Clearing my throat I looked back to him. "Well, _Stubby_, what do you plan to do with me now? I'm really of no use or status to you and your… group."

He stood and grinned once more, brushing off my attempt to annoy him with his pet name. "You, my dear, have been selected to take a little trip with us," he explained, waving his arm dramatically in the dimming light.

"Why would you possibly want to kidnap me? Money? I don't have any family Novus-side so I doubt you would get much, if any."

Stubby laughed and shook his head. "Well, yes and no. You're worth quite a bit more than you give yourself credit for." The conversation was interrupted by the sound of gunfire a distance away. We jumped a little, Zappa not even creaking, and Stubby quickly turned his focus back on me, his look suddenly very serious. "Did you call for back-up?"

I had, when I had gotten a chance to escape the Cora and before the Accretia showed up. They had taken my headset some time between then and when I woke up, so I wasn't sure if there would be any hope. I smiled politely up at him.

He cursed under his breath and turned to Tami, she nodding in response and standing, wielding my staff as her own. Stubby then turned and looked in the direction the Cora went. "Emma! We're gonna check that out. Watch her for me!" With that, he and the female hurried out of the secluded campsite and into the desert. I looked back to Zappa, who still had yet to move, wondering if it was even active. Every Accretia I had seen always moved independently but this one was obviously different.

There was a rustle and I looked. It was Emma. She leered at me for a moment before moving towards a stuffed backpack on the ground. After searching around within it for a moment she turned back to me and threw something in my lap. Startled, I caught it but just barely. It was a headset. Not mine, but one similar to the kind the Cora was using. I glanced back at her but she was holding her staff menacingly. With a sigh I slipped it on and pressed a button.

"If you run, I'll kill you." I blinked a few times and looked back at the Cora. She had said something in her tongue and almost instantly the words were translated into my ear piece. It was a very odd effect, hearing the same thing twice yet differently. Emma didn't supply any explanation for the device.

I turned my attention back to the Accretia but it wasn't going to make conversation anytime soon. The sound of footsteps caught me off guard and I noticed Emma tense up, aiming in its direction. Stubby came running up to the camp with Tami a distance behind, her steps not as energetic as his. For having left in such a sour fashion, Stubby's attitude had done a complete 180. His smile mimicked the kind Tami had when first given my staff while Tami looked rather perturbed.

Emma watched the male Bellato move quickly about the camp, collecting things and loading his gun. Finally she asked, "What?"

Stubby wheeled about to the Cora, grinning widely. "Our little dear requested a MAU." The beat of gunfire echoed again in the distance. It sounded like turret fire. Emma didn't move and Tami continued to look annoyed. A Massive Armor Unit? I didn't expect the Union to go that far. Maybe a Sniper at best.

"Stubby, do you really think we could capture it? I mean, it _is_ a MAU," Tami pointed out, perhaps trying to speak some reason into the Bellato. Her words obviously went unheard. He called Zappa to attention and started to leave once again, Tami sighing and trotting after the Accretia.

Thirty minutes later the three returned to the camp, empty handed. Tami was winded, Stubby was covered in sand and bleeding from the forehead, and Zappa had a few dents in its armor—one of which looked critical on its chest plate. Still it never complained. Stubby was another story.

"Bloody Union and their bloody MAUs! They were never that well-armored when I was there and hell, I could have made them better!" Stubby threw his gun to the ground while Tami adverted her eyes. "If I could just get a hold of one they would see. Foor's plans were years behind my ideas! Ugh! And all this damn SAND!" He then brushed himself off violently, not looking any better afterwards. His attention then turned to Zappa, who was simply standing there, damaged. "And you! You worthless pile of metal. Get over here so I can fix you!"

Zappa stood motionless for a moment before stepping closer to Stubby and kneeling down to one knee. Stubby adjusted some things on the front of the Accretia and the plate detached, leaving the much slimmer metal chest exposed. Stubby heaved it to the ground, nearly growling in his frustration, and went to go get some tool out of the backpack Emma first rummaged through.

I couldn't help but stare at the Accretia. Its internal frame was in much better condition than the rest of the armor. It was chrome in color and insanely lean; how it was able to support such a heavy creature I have no idea. It was funny to see the enemy exposed in such a fashion with no shame or opinion on the matter. I'm sure Emma wouldn't be so willing to do the same.

Tami noticed my interest and spoke up, sitting back down beside me and slinging the staff, my staff, against her shoulder. "We found him a while ago here in the desert. Think his circuits got fried from the heat or something. Stubby rewired him and now he follows what he says most of the time." She smiled a little to herself and looked over to the Bellato male who was pounding the dents (and his anger) out of the Accretian's armor, cursing. "Stubby really is a genius."

Stubby finally got the armor into a shape that he agreed with and lifted it back up, realigning it with Zappa. When he went to fit it back on, however, it didn't quite fit. He cursed some more, putting more force into trying to get it to stay, but it kept slipping. Finally he fixed it into place and kicked the plate as hard as he could. Zappa didn't budge but the chest piece locked into place. The Accretia then rose slowly without any commands, looming over Stubby, its azure eyes burning in the evening light. Without warning the Accretia swung at the Bellato, sending him to the ground.

Gasping I stood, staring wide-eyed at the scene before me. Admittedly I was more concerned with the Accretia turning on _me_ and attacking, but I couldn't pull my eyes away from Stubby. Tami rose as well, looking concerned, though knowing better than to get in the way. Emma rolled her eyes and strode off, wanting nothing to do with the conflict. After a few seconds of being stunned, Stubby found his feet and faced the Accretia, bleeding even more from his head. He was grinning that foolish lopsided grin of his but his gaze was intense. "All right, you sorry excuse for a toaster. You want to fight too?" Zappa was silent and still. "I'll rewrite you into a Ghost!" And with that Stubby planted another kick on the Accretia. Zappa swung again, hard and fast, narrowly missing the small opponent.

The two of them went at it for a minute or so before I turned to Tami who was watching nervously. "Aren't you going to stop them?" She blinked and turned her marked eyes towards me. "Would _you_ get in the middle of that?" she asked back. She had a point. We both looked back to the match which, in truth, was one-sided. The blows Zappa landed on Stubby looked horribly painful while the Bellato's physical assault hardly budged the metal warrior. Then Stubby pulled his gauntlet hand back and gave the Accretia the hardest punch I'd ever seen. I could almost hear his knuckles cracking and breaking from the contact with the solid metal foe. It was strong enough, in fact, to force Zappa back a step, leaning over just slightly. After this the Accretia stopped, falling silent and still once more.

The Bellato pant hard from exerting himself with the Accretia, managing to stay upon his feet but only just. His armored hand was limp and unmoving at his side, most likely broken. "Get out of my sight," he told Zappa and the Accretia did so without complaint. Once the machine was gone Stubby slumped down to a sit and sighed, running his better hand through his hair and smearing some blood into it in the process. Tami quickly ran over to him and knelt beside him.

"Stubby, you're crazy! Are you all right? Oh.. You're bleeding more. Hold still…" Tami frowned and continued to fuss over the wounded Bellato but he didn't seem to care much. I figured Tami to be a Chandra like myself given the way she was trying to care for Stubby but his wounds never looked any better. I glanced around. Zappa and Emma were out of sight, Stubby was in no condition to go anywhere, and Tami was far too worried about the other Bellato than myself. I could escape. Not knowing exactly where the Accretia was made me uneasy but if there ever was a time, it was now. I hesitated, looking back to Stubby.

He was a Bellato but he was still my enemy. Both of them—Turncoats. He was hurt pretty bad. I sighed and walked slowly towards the other two, flexing the fingers of my right hand and concentrating. I turned my gaze to Stubby. "Hey."

He glanced up slightly, having had taken an interest in his broken hand still confined within the metal, and looked me over with that one eye.

"I'll make a deal with you. You swear to let me go and I'll fix you up." He didn't move, just watched me with the same silence Zappa had. I then added, "And I want my staff back." To that he gave a little grin, shaking his head slightly.

"I can't do that one, missy. That staff is Tami's now. You can get another one from the Union." Wincing faintly Stubby adjusted where he sat, straightening his back and cradling his arm. He glanced at Tami who was still looking very distraught. "Get my bag, love?" Tami frowned even more but moved to retrieve it, holding the staff tightly in one hand and watching me out of the corner of her eyes.

I tightened my jaw. "So you won't negotiate?" I could still get away. I didn't need my staff for all my force attacks, just the ones that hurt people… I wasn't interested in turning out like him because of Zappa or dueling with the Cora without my staff. Tami walked past me then and set the pack down in front of Stubby who started to pull out some tools with his good hand.

"Not about that staff… no. See Tami here has been needing one for quite some time. Once she caught a glimpse of yours that just about sealed its fate. Supplies aren't as easy to come by out here in the desert." He started to roll up the sleeve of his gauntlet hand. "As for asking to leave… Heh, well that's very polite of you. It just looks worse than it is."

That liar! "You're hand is _broken_. How can it get much worse than that?" Well, he showed me. He seemed to rub his arm before the whole thing from his elbow down detached. Suddenly the name Stubby was much for fitting than I first thought. I noticed then that the eye with the blacked out visor was on that same side; his right. He laid the arm across his lap and fetched out a small utensil which he used to start and prod at the hand. My dumbfounded silence made him snicker quietly.

"You can thank your Union for this. Chandras can only heal so much." I found myself staring, watching, intrigued by the man before me. There was obviously a lot more to his story than being just a rebel or outcast. He didn't press the issue and continued to work on his hand. Tami crouched back down beside Stubby and watched him with a saddened face. His focus seemed to waver in and out as the blood hadn't stopped flowing from his head, dripping down his chin slowly.

Maybe it was pity, but I took a step closer and aimed my hand towards Stubby. Tami started to rise threateningly but I paid no attention to her. Closing my eyes I channeled the Holy force around and within me and concentrated. "What are you doing!" Tami snapped, pointing the end of the staff at my chest.

"Calm down," Stubby ordered and she looked back at him with her tattooed eyes. The blood was still there but the wounds were closing and repairing rapidly. It was hard to see at first but the weight that seemed to be upon Stubby's shoulders lifted. There was still nothing to be done about his arm but he could probably take care of it himself. Once the arm and hand were in working order he readjusted it back onto his arm, the fingers flexing carefully after the connection had been made. That single red eye peered up at me then, his slight smile tilting to one side. "At least stay the night, won't you?"

I found myself smiling back, just a little. That grin was growing on me. "I suppose." Tami looked annoyed with this answer. Stubby rolled his sleeve back down and put the tools away before standing slowly. He collected his discarded gun from the ground and we settled into camp for the night.


	2. Chapter 2

"Turncoat Renegades"

In all honesty, by the time we had turned in for the night I was more than happy to accept a bed from just about anyone, even if it was the most dysfunctional group I had ever witnessed. My head was still aching and my skin and hair were coated with sand. After a dinner of roasted Lunker meat (Believe me, the stuff is terrible.) we each withdrew to our tents. Emma, Stubby, and Tami each had their own so I was stuck sharing one with Tami.

When I awoke I did in fact feel better than when I had fallen asleep. I glanced over to Tami—she was fast asleep, cuddling my staff in her arms. I wasn't sure if it was because she simply didn't trust me or if she really loved the staff that much. Either way it didn't matter much, I could get another one. As quietly as possible I crept out of the tent and was greeted by the slowly dawning sky. The sun had still yet to break the horizon but it was soon on its way. The desert hadn't heat up so there was still a faint chill in the air.

The camp was quiet except for the muffled snoring coming from Stubby's tent. I didn't notice it at first, but Zappa was standing out here in the same spot as when we left it last night. The slot which housed its eyes were dark and lifeless. It looked nothing more than a huge suit of armor. It was still creepy. Anyways, back to business…Nature was calling. Given the lax security I was pretty sure they wouldn't mind if I slipped off to take care of such a thing.

I wandered a ways from the camp into the desert trying to remember where exactly the tents were hidden away. If one didn't know that the campsite was there they would completely miss it. In truth I had no idea where I was, as I had woken up in a daze with my captors from where I last remembered being. A secluded spot caught my attention and I ventured over to "examine" it for a time. It was hardly sanitary, but who would really care out here? After the detour I returned to the mental path in which I had set foot on. Traveling up one of the sand dunes provided quite a spectacular view.

The Sette Ruins could be seen over the horizon, casting dark slashes of shadows upon the sand in the rising sunlight. The temple seen at the rough middle of the entire desert dominated the surroundings with a majestic calm. I could only imagine who or what must have taken the time to build such a relic in the harsh desert and for what purpose. An ignorant guess would be the Corites, but there was no way that they had been on Novus long enough to create such ancient artifacts.

What a mess this all was…The Union better be paying me double (triple, even) for all this trouble. It would be interesting to report back and find out what the real story behind this Stubby character was. And these headsets were truly a work of genius if he really did create them. I suppose this was something similar to what the Race Leaders used in communication with other races, but for a Turncoat to have so many (via theft) would be unheard of.

That chill ran over me, that feeling of unexplained paranoia while I stood on the hill. I glanced around, expecting to see Zappa or Emma nearby, watching me with their piercing eyes but there was no one. I must still have been tired. With a final glance around I started back on my way back to the camp. I hadn't gotten more then ten steps when and hand fell over my mouth and pulled me back. For a second, it was just a hand with no arm attached, but very quickly it materialized from the thin air with a body to match it. There was no guessing what the hand belonged to, given the size of it. Cora! They pulled me back against their body, my head being driven back into their ribcage, and given the lack of cushioning there it had to be a male. I tried to look up but they kept my head from going far.

Though the Cora probably didn't care, he failed to notice that his hand was bigger than my face and his palm was cutting off my air. He apparently wasn't used to restraining Bellateans and with a few twists and pulls I managed to wiggle out of his grasp and make a run for it. I didn't bother looking back, it wasn't going to help me. "Cora!" I shouted, as if my words would magically travel all the way back to Stubby's camp, but it sounded more as if the desert wind sucked them away. Like a cliche war movie I tripped mid-step and was sent sprawling face first to the sand. When I tried to scramble back up I found that the trip-up was not the fault of my own.

The male Cora stood there where he had first tried to capture me, his hand outstretched and his eyes narrow. I looked down to my feet which were entangled with some kind of magic—not the usual Force Snare that I knew well enough, but something similar. Looking back the Cora was approaching slowly, looking very annoyed. A quick glance over determined him a Ranger based on his style of clothing and gattling gun.

As he drew closer I tried to run again but my feet were still a tangle. The Cora reached down and grabbed the back of my shirt's collar, hoisting me up to my feet roughly. I wanted to scream again but the barrel of his gun pressed hard into my back, causing me to rethink that idea.

"Filthy Bellato," the Cora ranger growled under his breath and it was then that I realized I still had my headset on. It probably wouldn't have the same effect if I tried to speak to him since he didn't have one as well. The gun pressed harder against my spine and I squirmed, trying to shift the discomfort, but he held the scruff of my shirt tightly. He moved me a step forward and I noticed that I could walk again.

Suddenly the Cora froze in place for a second, his grip tightening on my collar, and turned (with me) to scan the area. The gun left my back and was pulled around, hovering over my shoulder and aimed at a new figure who had appeared. My eyes widened a little to see that it was Emma standing there, her staff in one hand and that cold look upon her eyes.

"You! What do you want?" the ranger asked harshly, his weapon remaining trained upon the female Cora. Emma's eyes shifted slightly, looking the offensive object over before scanning his personal shield—me. Her golden eyes then ventured back up to the face of my new captor.

"You don't want this little one," Emma responded finally, her words calm but her gaze still intense.

"What business is it of yours, woman?" The ranger was starting to panic, adjusting his gun with the one hand and holding me closer with the other. Emma remained silent and when she didn't respond the man spoke again, tilting his head. "You want her for the same reason, don't you?"

Emma closed her eyes and turned away from us. Her skin looked even darker in the dim light of morning. She glanced over her shoulder towards the man. "Take her then," and with that she started to walk off. I thought for sure the ranger was going to fire into her back but he held his aim, threatening. The Cora led us away from the direction in which Stubby's camp was and we ventured into the desert towards the Ruins. It gave me a horrible sense of deja-vu.

It was a steady walk which lasted about twenty minutes, the gun never leaving my back. The Cora was obviously disgruntled by the fact my legs weren't as long as his and thus causing a slightly slower pace. Our path traveled through the sands and down into a valley which was leading to a tall spire-topped tower. The sunlight had yet to reach the depths of the valley, giving the whole area towards the tower a cool, creepy sense. The Cora gave out a call as we approached, something the headset couldn't translate.

In the doorway of the tower, two figures emerged, both Corites. They were both women at relatively the same height with the same sandy-brown hair as the ranger who held me. I could make out their faces from the shadows by the light cast from the staff of one of them, their expressions stern. Aside from the obviously Force user, the other had to be a warrior, given the large axe she held. My legs started to protest walking any closer to the two and I tried to dig my heels into the ground. The ranger gave a small grunt and tossed me to the ground again.

"She was out in the desert unarmed," the male Cora explained to the other two as the woman with the staff stepped closer. I turned about to try and rise to my feet but the Cora as already upon me, looming over me. I leaned back on my hands and stared up at her piercing gaze, trying to read just what she had in mind for me. The end of her staff lifted and slipped under my chin, holding it up as she examined me.

After a slight pause, the ranger spoke again. "There was a woman, too… A Cora." This caused the woman to glance up, looking directly at the man. She never moved her staff from my chin but her attention was obviously shifted. "She was familiar but I did not know her name. Her skin was like mahogany." The woman frowned and then looked back to me where the frown remained.

"You're certain of this?" Her voice was clear even when spoken softly. She reminded me a lot of Emma. Perhaps all Corites were meant to be unhappy. I'd never seen one smile.

"Of course." The staff was lowered and she took a slight step back. The second woman in the doorway hadn't moved aside from crossing her arms. While my gaze was shifted, the Cora before me shoved the butt of her staff into my shoulder and forced me onto my back without warning. This was going to be a bad week…

"You had better hope you are, Rorah. This is your fault." The Cora turned the staff slightly, grinding the end of staff against me. Perhaps she wanted me to run—Given her attitude she wouldn't think twice about incinerating me if she had the chance. But why? Why were they keeping me alive? Why did Stubby even want me? In such a bloody war only highly valuable soldiers or officers of power were kept as prisoners, not mediocre Chandras.

The ranger, Rorah, sighed and stepped around me, walking past the female and towards the tower. The woman's gaze followed him slightly before she looked back down to me. Her lip sneered and she lifted her weapon off my shoulder, placing it back on the ground. "Check her, Jestla."

The second woman strode forward, slipping her axe behind her back with a strip of leather. For being a warrior she certainly showed a lot of skin. She grabbed me and pulled me up to my feet roughly, checking me for any weapons hidden on my person. She wouldn't find any. The Caster's gaze never wavered from me, watching me closely with that distasteful look. She held herself very properly, her chin lifted with dignity. She really didn't belong out here, I could tell.

"Nothing," Jestla finally responded, removing her hands from me though staying near by. With a final glance the Cora closed her eyes and lifted her staff. _Damnit!_ They didn't want me alive after all! I started to move back from her when the warrior grabbed me by the back of my neck, pressing her fingers painfully into my nerves. I felt my knees weaken and I drop to them, the Cora kneeling down beside me to keep the pressure. The ground between the Caster and I started to warp in color as runes I couldn't understand started to glow upon it. Forming a circle, the runes started to spin slowly and with some uttered words the Corite's staff moved again. I closed my eyes tightly and waited for the end.

There was a quiet whisper and the air seemed to shift and it felt as if a dark presence was falling upon me. I cringed, waiting—waiting—waiting. Finally I opened my eyes a little and glanced up, wondering exactly what is was that happened. I was greeted by the outline of a massive creature, bulky and muscular. Though appearing to be made of stone, the beast floated effortlessly by a pair of wings and wielded a long lance or sword. Its crimson eyes burned down at me from its height which was taller than even its summoner. I felt my stomach drop. This was a bit overkill to eliminate one Bellato!

The creature lifted its weapon and aimed it down at me. I held my breath, unable to close my eyes now as I stared, too stunned to move. The Summoner, however, lifted her hand to yield the beast. "No, Paimon. Not this one." The demon paused and lowered its lance, turning to look at the one who called it. It spoke, and when it did, I felt my nerves cringe and crawl under my skin. The translator couldn't interpret the language it used but the Cora seemed to understand just fine.

The Summoner sighed gently as she lowered her hand. "My _sibling _seems to think this will solve our little problem. We need her alive." I heard Rorah huff some distance away but my eyes were locked upon the weapon of the Paimon. The beast spoke again, its burning eyes narrowing to slits as it spoke to the Summoner, its tone exceedingly dark. "We require your assistance," she said now, gesturing to me.

The summon looked towards me once more and, after a moment, uttered a sharp growl. If I hadn't been on my knees already I would have certainly fallen to them from that. It turned and spoke rather harshly to the woman but she didn't flinch from its tone, calmly offering a polite bow and whispering something too softly for me to hear. The monster turned back to me with a snort and I felt myself standing. I had completely forgotten the Corite warrior woman beside me who was now hoisting me back to my feet. Once vertical the Paimon grabbed for me and lifted me up with one hand with ease. It didn't look very happy, nothing that came from a Cora ever did, and it finally tucked me under its arm like some sort of package, pinning my arms at my sides against its stony frame. It was less than comfortable. The creature uttered one last thing to its Summoner before falling silent.

The Cora remained bowed for a moment longer before straightening. Her gaze turned to fall upon Rorah before heading towards him. From the archway of the tower came another form, a smaller form. For half a second I thought it was another Bellato, but as she came into the light her features were obviously Corite. She looked much like a smaller, younger version of the Summoner with shorter hair. Despite myself I stared at her—she had to be the youngest Cora I'd ever seen with a weapon. In her hands she held a green-colored staff and stared back at me with large, similar hued eyes.

The Cora child gasped upon seeing me and ran forward, obviously more amazed with me than the huge summon holding me. She looked me over then looked up to the Paimon, then over to Jestla. The Summoner had walked off to speak with Rorah in private and thus left the summon to do as it will, though its job seemed rather obvious. "Is this a sinner, Jessie?" she asked the woman left behind. Even her voice was young.

Jestla and I caught each others eye before she looked back to the little Cora. "It is," she replied simply. The child looked back to me, astonished by my mere existence. Had she never seen a Bellato before? Was she really that naive? Why would she be on Novus, a planet of war, without even knowing the enemy? Despite her innocence and age I still held my breath when she waved her staff by my face. She took great pleasure in my reaction and did so several times, even tapping the staff lightly against my forehead.

"Their ears are funny," she then pointed out, reaching over and pulling a bit on one of my considerably smaller ears. It wasn't hard enough to hurt but the child was becoming rather annoying.

"Doette! Do not touch her!" The Summoner shouted sternly over at the child who quickly withdrew her hand from me. The child frowned and looked over to the woman before looking back to me. With a huff she finally pulled her attention away and looked up to the beastman which held me captive, brightening up once again and waving to the creature. If the summon acknowledged the child, it was in no way I could detect as it continued to hover there motionlessly.

Being denied attention, Doette gave a little sigh and turned to venture off towards the Summoner and Ranger. As she drew closer to the two her steps picked up and she was nearly skipping by the time she got to the pair. In watching them it appeared that she favored Rorah to the Summoner though the ranger seemed reserved regarding both of them.

My head was killing me again. From one oddity to the next. At least this group was all one race. They hadn't noticed that I could understand them and I planned to keep it that. If they removed my headset I might lose my only chance of finding out why I was in this situation or how I could escape it.

I started to wonder if Emma would tell Stubby and the others what happened to me or if she would simply deny ever seeing what happened. Would they come looking for me even if she did? They had no reason to unless to benefit themselves for whatever reason made me so popular.

Finally the Summoner motioned towards my direction and it seemed that we would be traveling. To where they didn't mention and it was apparent that I wasn't going to be doing any walking given my summoned escort. I can't say I was really grateful for it.


	3. Chapter 3

"Turncoat Renegades"

_"Turrets East – 1 and 4! Turrets North - 3 and 4!"_

_The eastern exit was pure mayhem. People running in and out, half of them not sure which way they were being pushed. The intercom of the Settlement was blaring orders for defensive measures though no one truly wanted to go outside. The light aircrafts had already taken off and were trying to neutralize the threat while the soldiers got organized._

_"Turrets 1 and 4, East, NOW!"_

_Stavvy swam up the river of traffic at the southern entrance, trying to use the push of higher ranked warriors to move him closer to where he had to go. Two ammunition packs nearly half his weight each didn't help much. They had a lot of training soldiers out on the field who couldn't handle what was out there. Those lesser ranked soldiers were trying to get away from the bridge as fast as possible. He didn't blame them._

_Once free of the bottleneck doorway the Settlement stretched out to house the launching platforms for the light aircrafts, all of which were missing at the moment. Then there was the bridge. The bridge was only wide enough to accommodate one MAU at a time and was one of the few connections to the Solus area. At one point it was probably a good idea to build a settlement in the middle of the water with a rock foundation surrounded by cliffs but right now a moat seemed like a rather obsolete defensive barrier. He looked across the bridge and saw the threat in full force. Accretians._

_There was a loud explosion from up above and the settlement trembled as one of the aircrafts were shot out of the sky, debris scraping across the roof before falling down into the rocky waters below. His Commander was screaming in his ear again. Despite better judgment he moved closer to the bridge were all sound was overpowered by the sound of gunfire from the stationary turrets. The siege had gone on for no more than fifteen minutes now and already they needed to be restocked. Stavvy ducked down behind them the best he could and started to replenish their ammo._

_He had done this plenty of times before in just as stressful situations but every time seemed harder than the last. It wasn't so much the work—that was easy. It was hiding from the enemy, unknowing how much time you had, watching your friends and comrades fight in harm's way while staying behind. His hands froze for a moment as his eyes wandered, catching sight of a Psyper riddled with beam cell arrows. Watching the Bellato fall made him suddenly realize he was alone. Where was his partner?_

_"Wal—" He was cut off by the sound of another explosion, this time far more closer and threatening. The bridge underneath him rattled violently from the impact before returning to the constant vibration. Even if his partner was here there was no way for him to find him in this mess. He held his breath and returned back to his work on the turret._

_He couldn't imagine why the Accretians had picked this time, this day, to decide to attack Solus. He had scheduled an appointment with one of the lead Engineers from the Synis House to discuss his recent work later today. It had taken him months of run-arounds and bribery to get this appointment and now it was going to be ruined because the damn androids wanted to conquest. He knew his ideas were good. They could change the outcome of the war if he could just get the funding to prove it to everyone. Funding, however, was something everyone needed and usually lacked._

_Stavvy slammed the covering back down on the turret and he heard the ammunition rotate inside. He quickly programmed it back to its auto-target and fire mode and let it start picking off the Accretians. He stood, well as much as he could with so much fighting nearby, and started across to the other corner of the bridge to supply it as well. The floor under his feet started to shake again in spaced increments. He knew that feeling and looked back towards the building. The fighters were parting to make way for the huge hulking Units making their way to the bridge. He quickly scampered across to the other side before the single-file convoy lurched past to face the metal warriors._

_He set the weight of the ammunition pack down beside him and started to work on the second turret. He could see soldiers slipping past the MAUs to try and provide extra damage once the Accretians would scatter like they usually did when faced with a MAU squad. Stavvy hadn't even begun to get the rounds out of the pack when the retaliation began. Instead of pulling back, several of the Accretians created their own line, shoulder-to-shoulder, like a wall awaiting the Armored Units._

_"Siege Wall!" someone shouted over the fighting but it was too late. One by one the wall of Accretians transformed, their launcher weapons altering their own structure to create what was known as a Siege Cannon. The Cannon was huge, as the race was large to start with, but these nearly stretched as high as a MAU when fully deployed. The MAU line didn't stop. There was a brief second of ceased fire._

_All Siege Cannons opened fire. Their rockets screamed through the air and crashed into the first Goliath MAU in the line, causing the rest of the line to stop. The Driver had to have been a fool, as it kept plowing straight into the assault. The Unit didn't come within twenty yards of the Siege Wall before it collapsed, reduced to a smoldering pile of metal._

_The next Driver in line was not as courageous as the first and yielded to the advance, requesting orders to retreat no doubt. The Accretians weren't about to wait for the next MAU to decide what its orders were and opened fire once again. One Cannon seems to be focused on the next MAU while the others took aim on a new target—the suspensions to the bridge. The bridge itself was rather strong but the impact of the rounds were making it a shaky place to be. The MAUs were more than stable even with the rocky bridge but their weight was causing the stressed bridge to creak dangerously._

_This was not a good place to be. Rangers on the Settlement walls were attempting to take out the Accretians but their Cannons provided quite a bit of defense as well. Stavvy hesitated before opening the turret and beginning his work on it. The faster he got it done, the faster he could get out of this crossfire. A loud **SNAP** and the bridge lurched momentarily as one of the cables broke under pressure and flailed dangerously. The MAU unit decided to back off before it got worse but every second they remained on the bridge, the weaker it became._

_He had to get out of here, it was a death trap. He quickly shoved the remains of the rounds into the turret and slammed it shut, not even bothering to reprogram it. Grabbing his bags he went to escape but the roll of MAUs cut off his way out for the time being. Another cable snapped and the bridge rocked again, sending him down to his backside. "Damn it, hurry up!"_

_And then he heard it. There was the familiar whistle of a missile but this time it was close, too close. It crashed into the wall by him. Perhaps risking getting trampled by the MAU unit was worth the attempt at this point. There was another whistle, close. No, it was coming right for him! He pressed himself behind the turret and there was a blast of heat and a deafening roar. The turret in front of the one he was hiding behind exploded from the impact of the missile and set off a chain reaction, sparking the turret before him. He cursed and tried to move away but it was too late. The sparks and heat from the first explosion triggered the ammunition in the second turret and set them off. It only took half a second before the second turret exploded._

_When Stavvy awoke he instantly wished he hadn't. His head was splitting and he couldn't open his eyes. His whole body ached and his right side stung when attempting to move it. He could still hear the sounds of the fighting but it seemed distant and warped. In his dazed state only one thought came to mind. _Escape_. It took almost all this effort just to open his eyes. Everything was red and blurred; half his vision was shapes while the other half were only shades of dark and light. His mind was telling him to move but his body was very resistant to the idea._

_Unsure how and in too much pain to care, Stavvy got to his feet and started to move for the space between the bridge and settlement, his only way out. He had to keep moving, he couldn't stop here. He had too much to accomplish. The bridge trembled again and he was sent back to the ground. The metal was cold, it felt good. The constant vibration of the floor under him was lulling him into unconsciousness again. He thought he heard someone scream but that, too, sounded far away._

_The ground shook harder and harder like some falling hammer until it stopped. Peace—for a second. Then the pain came like nothing like he had ever felt before. It felt as if someone had just ripped his arm off. He wished they would if it would make the pain stop. Maybe the screaming was his but he didn't know any more. He tried to move but he couldn't. As if out of pity his body finally gave in to the pain and his consciousness slipped away again._

_He remembered the bright light. Brighter than any sun, he felt like some creature meeting the grace of day for the first time. He wasn't sure how long he laid there in the light but it felt like days upon days. Sometimes the light went away but usually it was there constantly. One time, when he slipped out of darkness and into the light again, there were shapes too. His gaze slowly roamed around to the objects around him. He was in a room. The longer he thought about it, the more familiar things became. It wasn't just a room, it was a hospital._

_He could tell someone came into his room now and then but he didn't know who they were. Probably a Chandra nurse checking on him. It started to make him wonder how bad the damage was. It took more concentration then he would think to just move his head and the pain wasn't very motivating but he was finally able to look at himself. It didn't seem that bad, the normal cuts that came with battle. There was a lot of pressure on his head though, the right side ached dully. He tried to remember exactly what happened. It seemed so long ago._

_The turrets, the fighting, the Accretians, the bridge, the MAUs, the…explosion. The memories of the pain past endured start to flood back to him and he started to panic. No, it couldn't have happened… Not what he thought happened… He turned his head slightly and looked towards his right arm. He only found half of it. Everything inside him turned cold and numb. This couldn't be happening._

_Days passed quickly after that and his mind slipped into thoughtlessness. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. Given the complication of his injury he was stuck in the hospital for weeks. His right side had been damaged from the shrapnel of the explosion causing him to also lose his right eye and his arm had been crushed under a careless MAU Driver. There was nothing the Chandras could have done by the time he was brought in. His pain was numbed by injections twice a day but nothing could ease his damaged pride. The Union would send him back home for sure after having dumped so much money into keeping him alive._

_One day his door opened and someone stepped inside. It wasn't the usual nurse, she had just came. It was Rylin Synis, the Lead Engineer he had the appointment for so long ago. Stavvy stared in shock as the man came in and smiled, walking over to his bed. When he attempted to get up (as he could move somewhat then) the Bellato waved off his efforts and he rested back, still amazed._

_"Sir… To what do I owe this?" Stavvy finally managed, wishing he was at least in something more appropriate than hospital clothing._

_"Well soldier, I believe it is I who owe you. We've had some extremely delayed topics to discuss," Rylin stated, his hands slipping behind his back._

_For the first time in a very long time Stavvy felt energized once more. He gapped at the Engineer for a second, thinking he was just a figment of his narcotics, but he was really here. They want him to stay after all! "Of course, sir," he quickly blurted, straightening up a bit more in his bed. "I apologize for the inconvenience for having you to travel out here but I'm sure you'll find that my projects are well worth—"_

_"Yes, I know all about your projects. Very clever. Ingenious if you will," Rylin stated, sounding bored already as he gazed towards the small window on the wall._

_"I…Thank you, sir," he managed, starting to feel a little dazed again. "But…How exactly do you know of them? I mean, I never shared my plans with anyone in case something—"_

_"You've developed your prototypes and plans with Union property and so, after your little accident, the Union collected your things for you and came across them. And I assure you, the Union thanks you for your contribution."_

_Stavvy laughed slightly and shook his head. "Well I…didn't expect that. But once I get out of here I'd be more than ready to help put them into effect." Rylin sighed and turned his attention back to the Bellato, his looked serious._

_"The only thing you'll be doing once you get out of here is catching a flight back home. You're not needed here anymore and what do you want us to do with that?" he asked as he gestured to Stavvy's bandaged arm._

_The good feeling Stavvy had was rapidly vanishing. "I can fix this, sir. I could—_

_Rylin cut in again, leaning in and lowering his voice. "With what money, Stavvy? Certainly not ours. MAU production is expensive enough. Accept this discharge—You're of no use to us anymore."_

_His eye narrowed as he stared at Rylin. "You don't have the power to discharge me," he stated slowly and evenly, trying to keep himself calm._

_"No, you're correct, though I'm sure someone in my House could."_

_Before he could think of what he was doing, Stavvy grabbed the front of the man's shirt with his other hand and pulled him closer, glaring at him now. "Look at me Synis! This is all I have left. I'm not going to let you take this from me."_

_The Bellato looked over the broken one for a moment before gripping his offensive hand and pulled it off his shirt, straightening with a narrowed look. "At least leave with your dignity." With that the Engineer took his leave._

_When the ship scheduled to leave for the Bellatean home planet took off, Stavvy wasn't on it. He was able to get the parts he needed from a black market trader for his new arm and thus turned to bringing down Rylin Synis. He found some interesting information about dealings he had with the Alliance, allowing and over looking information leakage, and was able to blackmail the Engineer out of office. This did nothing to save his reputation, however. The Synis House got their revenge when they labeled him a traitor to the Union and put him under Turncoat status._

_The image of the time he met Emma came to mind, so beautiful and harsh. Her skin like rich chocolate and hair like honey, her attitude didn't match such a beautiful person. She was so mesmerizing he didn't notice the ball of fire sailing for him until—_

"Stubby, wake up!"

Stavvy jumped awake with a start, coated with sweat and his pillow in his mouth. He coughed and looked around before noticing Tami crouching over him. His brow furrowed but he soon grinned up at her. "Hey lovely."

She didn't seem to be in the mood to play, however, as she shook her head. "No, Stubby! She's gone!"

Rats…And he was really in the mood after a night like that. He scratched his head lazily. "Who?"

"The Chandra! She's gone, Stubby. She must have slipped away during the night. What are we going to do?" He could tell that Tami didn't like the new girl much, so it was curious to see her so wound up.

"She didn't take her staff back, did she?"

"No…"

"Then what are you so worked up about? There isn't much we can do now. If she wants to get lost out there in the desert then that's her problem."

Tami frowned, looking him over now. "But what about the contract?"

"Since when did you care about that sort of thing?" He then grinned again and waved her closer. "Now come here, won't you?" Tami paused again. He hated when she was playing hard to get and he desperately needed something to make him forget those past memories that decided to haunt him last night. Finally she gave in and slipped into his tent.

Emma lingered outside, scowling at the tent nearby. The little people were truly repulsive at times, half of the time acting like animals. They had no propriety what so ever. Perhaps that man could use the Chandra better then they could, he seemed rather green. She glanced aside to Zappa's inactive form, examining the Accretia silently. The less they had to deal with these damnations, the better.


End file.
